Obsession Overload
by forever118
Summary: Basic plot: it's the night before the wedding and Bella goes missing after having a fight with Edward. :O Summaries are not my thing so just read it please, and review if you can. ExB, no new characters so far, and there WILL be some Jacobhating.
1. Chapter 1: Open Window

My bed creaked as I slowly sat up, abandoning all efforts to fall asleep. Forks at night was a quiet place, with the kind of silence that you could feel right in your bones. The silence that was now smothering me. I switched on the lamp on the bedside table and smiled tenderly at the picture beside it- Renee and I when we were teenagers, just after our elopement in California. She looked beautiful as always, of course, her gaze not meeting the camera lens, a delightful laugh escaping her lips probably as she remembered some funny joke she'd heard a few days ago. I sighed. First my wife, and then my daughter. What was it with me and my incapability of keeping beautiful women in my lives? Bella... A sharp glance at the clock on the wall told me there were seven hours left until the dreaded moment. Until I had to surrender my daughter to the arms of another man. Until she was wedded to that lowly-.

She's happy, I scolded myself for still being prejudiced about Edward. She is happy. That's all that matters. Just like Renee was happy with Phil now. That was life- some things just had to be given up for the greater good. Besides, I reasoned, though this was an argument I had faced with myself a dozen times- Carlisle was a good man, and the Cullens a good family. I should be proud to call them my daughter's in-laws. In-laws. The word hit me like a ton of boulders hurled after one another. This was happening too fast, too soon; but there was nothing I could do to stop it now. It would break Alice's heart to back out now, even if I did manage to sway Bella's mind right at the last minute, a feat that was pretty much impossible. All the effort that poor lamb had thrown into planning this wedding- I couldn't let that go to waste. But what about a postponement? I wondered hopefully to myself, even if this debate seemed dismally familiar by now. I knew the outcome of this conflict already: Bella was going to get married, and I was going to be a good father for once and walk her up the aisle with a smile on my face. This would be my last present to her as a guardian.

I was staring blankly into space, contemplating whether or not to go down to the kitchen to fix myself a midnight snack just to soothe my frazzled nerves, when a loud purring noise came from the driveway. Puzzled, I recognized the noise to be Bella's truck engine- and frowned deeply. I thought she had been planning to sleep over at the Cullen's house tonight. Alice's wedding-planning sessions rarely ran this late too, and for God's sake the ceremony was tomorrow! What on Earth was left to discuss? I heard a door slam and the sound of the front door being unlocked. The latter too was slammed, and I heard Bella's voice a moment later, in a short frustrated scream. Then came a series of noises which sounded like she was kicking something, causing it to topple over; my bet was on the pile of wedding magazines that Alice had left lying in the kitchen. I froze in place. Maybe swaying her now wouldn't be such an impossible feat after all. But I was still careful to not make any audible movements, straining to keep from breathing too loudly. I waited for her to step on the top stair, which creaked, and listened for the sound of her slamming her bedroom door. Only then, I exhaled. A few minutes passed- the suffocating silence was back.

I got off the bed as lightly as possible, but took my time shuffling into my robe and slippers. I was afraid she would be crying- I had issues with tears, somehow. That was one of the things that had led to Renee leaving; she was so prone to drama queen moments and expected to be comforted every single time her eyes moistened, whereas I would shy away as far as possible from any sort of excessive emotion. My hand gripped the doorknob firmly, and soon I was outside Bella's room. This was, maybe, the one thing that I could stand up for.

"Bella, honey?" I tapped lightly on the door.

No answer. I frowned. In the past three years that she'd been living with me in Forks, she'd had tantrums and crying fits and God knows what else... but she had always made some sort of verbal reaction whenever I called. Now though, there was nothing. Like she wasn't even there. If that bastard left her again, I thought darkly, my mind instantly moving to schemes involving the FBI and arresting the entire Cullen family- I had a suspicion that their legal documents were fake, I just needed the proof... I threw the door open, half expecting to see my daughter in a crumpled heap on the floor, miserable and unconscious.

The room was empty.

That was odd. I crossed the room quickly to peek out the window- yes, that was definitely Bella's truck parked outside. But where was she?

Something terrifying suddenly registered itself in my brain. The window had been closed this morning; I'd shut it myself when I was leaving the house for work, a few hours after Bella had gone to the Cullen's. She would have left a note if she'd come back during the day.

The window was wide open now.

**Should I continue this:S I'm on a fence here.**


	2. Chapter 2: Dead End

**A/N: I continued it anyway, because my conscience told me to. :) Hope you guys like it. And... for the first time ever... Review, please? I just want to know what people think of it.**

* * *

"Edward, calm down-" Carlisle winced mid-sentence as the thirtieth porcelain plate smashed into pieces against the hard wall. Esme cleaned up quietly; a golden blurr as she placed the tiny shards into an already overloaded plastic bag. "Just think about what you two have been through together, just think-" 

"Of how she's always thinking of Jacob!" roared Edward, his eyes a dull burning black. Rage flared from his entire body, causing him to shake. He couldn't remember when was the last time he'd lost control this way. He looked around for something else to break; his breath had stopped unconsciously, and the thirst in his throat was over-powering eventhough he'd just returned from a hunt. Who cared about those stupid humans anyway, he thought bitterly, as a new idea came to him on how to vent his anger. He'd hunt the way their kind was supposed to hunt, and not fight against nature anymore; he'd join the Volturi and become one of their greatest assets...

"No." Alice whispered suddenly, seeing Edward's unspoken decision. "Edward, you can't." Her eyes shut with her brother's pain, and she willed her thoughts to be as encouraging as could be- she knew he would be inside her head, to see what she'd seen. Dozens of their former schoolmates' bodies lying in the woods, soaked in blood... And then she stopped, as another vision pushed its way through.

Alice screamed once, a piercing, heartbreaking noise that slowly dwindled down into a continuous moan. Jasper was there in a second, his normally unfazed expression melted into one of horror and fear as his main point of existence began sobbing, rocking back and forth, finally falling onto the floor with her cheek pressed against the carpet. Her body kept writhing as she let out more screams, and in the agony and confusion of the moment Edward's temper forgot itself and he too was at Alice's side. Jasper's voice was low and ominous. "Edward, what is she seeing?"

Edward probed into his sister's mind, but there was nothing to see- her thoughts were a complete void now, almost as if his talent had suddenly been switched off, and everything was shrouded in darkness. "I don't know," he whispered, tense... and afraid now.

The whole room was filled with disturbed reactions. Emmett was the first to speak, fear hidden underneath his incredulous tone.

"What do you mean you don't know?! Just look inside her head and-"

Edward shook his head. "I can't see anything. It was just... Just like how Bella was immune to me." God, how it hurt to say her name.

Everything was suddenly silent; Alice had stopped writhing now, though her tearless sobs were still barely audible. "What?" hissed Carlisle, his eyes turning a shade of beige. "Edward, tune into my thoughts," he commanded.

Edward tried again, this time successfully. Carlisle's mind was complex and filled with deep thoughts, but one stood out above the rest: _What does this mean?_ "I don't know what it means," he answered, showing that the attempt had worked. He stopped himself from sighing in relief just in time, though was still thankful his talent had not fizzled out. Not when everything else has left me, he thought darkly, his rage slowly raising its head again. He took a deep breath, trying to hold it back, and focused on his sister. Jasper held Alice in his arms now, stroking her hair, murmuring into her ear. She looked better, though her face was still crumpled in pain and sadness.

"I've never seen her visions _take_ her like that before," Rosalie spoke suddenly, her exquisite face showing lack of her usual confidence. "That couldn't be just another bad day- it was like she was seeing the end of the world, something completely devastating..."

"The only other time I've seen it hit her this hard..," Jasper hesitated, throwing a nervous glance at Edward, who rolled his eyes and merely found the answer for himself. _It was when she had the vision of Bella jumping. When she thought that Bella had killed herself._

Bella. The name echoed through Edward's own mind now, and his fury quickly transformed into a gripping fear. Dear Lord, how could he have let her go off alone? Undoubtedly Victoria and Laurent was dead, and Jacob hadn't come back- but the Volturi was still reigning free. What if they had visited her while she was still alone and was displeased to find her still human? Or what if there was a newborn vampire who'd escaped, somehow, and had been planning on revenge?

Everyone, absorbed in their own thoughts and theories as Alice quieted down, jumped as they felt the vibrations coming from Carlisle's pocket. His phone was ringing.

At a human speed, he flipped it open and viewed the number, frowning slightly. "It's Charlie," he said. "I wonder why he's not asleep yet." Edward's body froze.

Carlisle answered. "Yes?" He feigned a tone of sleepiness. "Bella? She's... not with us right now, she left early." There was a silence as the family listened in on Charlie's words, choked with sobs and sniffs.

"She's... gone... window... left open... Need you guys... come over... now..."

"We'll be there," promised Carlisle firmly, and promptly hung up. Alice whimpered, her eyes wide open now, staring at the dazed expression on Edward's face. His Bella, gone. Emmett and Rosalie growled simultaneously, a dangerous sound that showed their equal anger to this sudden disappearance. Alice stood up immediately and sped towards the door with a panicked face, hand in hand with Jasper. "We have to wait," said Esme softly, suddenly beside Alice, gently restraining her. "It's three o'clock in the morning. Any normal human family would take at least ten minutes to get ready. And everyone has to go together." There was a pause before Jasper nodded reluctantly, and tugged a stricken Alice back into his arms.

"I'm so sorry," whispered Edward to nobody but himself. How had he allowed this to happen? The night had started off so perfectly- they'd been double-checking the preparations for tomorrow, her kisses so full of passion and impatience for the morning to arrive... It had taken him all his years' experience and discipline to not take her right there and then at the dining table. Then the full moon had arrived...

_"My love," he whispered, his perfect eyesight catching the glisten of a tear on his wife-to-be's cheek. "What's wrong?"_

_"Jacob." Already his heart was boiling; that was the second time in three hours today that he'd felt like killing the mongrel along with his genetically mutated family- but he composed his face into a reassuring expression. "What about him, sweetheart?"_

_"He still hasn't come back, and the pack's been told to not tell me anything..." Her voice sounded so frustrated. The dog caused her pain even in his absence . "And Billy's not being such a big help to me either..."_

_"Why do you care so much about him?" The question sounded too harsh for beautiful Bella's ears, but he needed to know. He needed to know that Bella's choice had been sincere, and not out of any sympathy for his part. It would kill him if that were the case. Metaphorically, of course._

_"Why are you so angry?" she turned her face away from him. So that he wouldn't see her tears. Her question was the tipping point- his temper unleashed itself._

_"WHY?" his voice was so furious, so loud. But it came, unstoppable- the rage he had been bottling up eversince he knew what that dog had done for Bella, how she thought herself indebted to him; how it could all have been avoided if he had never left her in the first place. "Because nobody likes to know the person that they choose to be with for eternity is having second thoughts right after they repeatedly refuse the alternative route, Bella! Not even someone without a heart like me!"_

_"I'm not having second thoughts!" She raised her voice in an attempt to match his, a struggling fight against the tears. "And you do have a heart..."_

_"Maybe." So cold. That hurt; his words had shattered her, the same way she had shattered him when he saw those images in Jacob's mind- the two of them kissing, Bella responding with more passion than he'd believed she was capable of... He stayed silent, still as a statue, refusing to meet her eyes._

_She stood up, shoving back the chair hard. "I'm going home," she muttered. He winced- it had been a long time since she referred to Charlie's house as her home._

_He made no move to follow her._

"Edward?" He felt a cool hand rest on his shoulder. "It's time to go." Carlisle's voice, so warm and wise... Would it still be so soothed if he knew that his son had brought about his own miserable end? Edward shook his head.

"There's no point, Carlisle. She wouldn't come back to me, even if we found her. I've lost her either way. Leave me be..."

There was a crashing sound, granite against granite, as he suddenly received a hard slap that knocked him sheer into the glass window on the southern wall. It didn't break- of course, Esme never used normal glass in any of their windows- but his head was sore now. He cussed as he leapt to his feet. Rosalie stood before him, her glorious face livid.

"Don't you dare!" she screamed, her volume almost rivalling Emmett's. "In case you don't _recall_, she flew half-way across the world because she didn't want you to die, even when she thought you didn't love her anymore! She went to face a bloodthirsty tracker ALONE because she didn't want you to get hurt! She was willing to sacrifice the pleasures of being HUMAN, sacrifice the chance of getting into Heaven, just to spend a little time with you! And now, two years after you tell her that you'll love her _forever_, no matter what, when everyone has finally accepted her as a part of the family and we've spent around four thousand dollars planning your damn wedding because you've been a hermit for God knows how long, you're just going to leave her in the clutches of some serial killer?! I DON'T THINK SO!" She stopped, breathless. Emmett's jaw dropped; Esme and Carlisle looked stunned; Jasper looked like he was going to faint from all the tension he was absorbing. Alice merely rolled her eyes and clucked her tongue (for of course she'd already foreseen his decision).

Then, a long moment of quiet passed as everyone (except Alice) observed Edward's face, changing from one emotion to the next.

He sighed heavily, and rubbed his cheek. "Fine. Let's go, then. But I'm driving."

Alice POV

There were several cars, three cruisers among them, parked in Charlie's driveway when we arrived, and almost all the lights on the ground floor were on- lots of people; I could smell the blood all the way from inside the car. I glanced anxiously at Jasper, wondering if he could handle it, and with a weary look he gave a tiny nod. I squeezed his hand- he'd come a long way since I first met him decades ago. He laughed a lot more now, and it pleased me whenever I saw him playing around with Emmett and Edward, though of course I had to pretend to be annoyed when it got too much.

"How many?" asked Emmett, growling under his breath. I peeked into the future; cracked images that looked like old Sepia-toned films. Charlie, crying on the sofa, Sue Clearwater patting his shoulder comfortingly. I recognized some local shop-keepers, teachers at our old high school, a few parents of our old classmates, and even a few of the classmates themselves. Angela Weber was there, leaning against the kitchen counter and looking devastated, and her boyfriend Ben was wandering around helplessly, trying to see what he could do. Everyone was sitting around and discussing their theories. They were waiting for our arrival.

"Fifty, give or take." Though how they all managed to fit into that tiny hut of a house I'll never know. And the werewolves weren't here too, I noticed, as we hurriedly got out of the car, playing up the speed just slightly. I felt bothered. Even with the knowledge that the treaty would be broken if they entered our land while we were still there, I would've thought that Bella's safety would be put at first priority. Or maybe those dogs just had too big an ego. Edward didn't bother to lock- car thefts just didn't happen in Forks unless our family was behind it.

Rosalie growled at my answer, and I could feel Jasper's hand stiffening in mine. I looked at him again briefly; he was already holding his breath, his eyes emotionless and grim. "I'll be fine," he murmured.

Carlisle turned around to check that all of us were ready, and knocked on the door. The muted voices coming from inside fell silent; and I could hear a familiar voice muttering, "Must be the Cullens- I'll get it." The door opened a short moment later- revealing a tanned, muscular, Jasper-height Mike Newton. I stared openly. He looked... decent for a human, almost, all traces of geekiness subtly removed. I wondered what he had been doing with his time after graduation. "Hey guys," he said, still trying to be friendly though there was still that usual pain in his eyes. Oh. The announcement about the wedding couldn't have sat well with this dude- he still had a crush on Bella, big time. This probably hurt him almost as much as it hurt us too. Edward turned to look at me. "I can hear you," he reminded me softly as we made our way into the living room, where all eyes fell on us- landing on Rosalie especially, who -to my annoyance- still found the time to smile smugly. I crinkled my nose- the house smelt funny.

"From the beginning... Can you tell us what happened?" Carlisle asked solemnly, occupying the space on the sofa that Sue had hurriedly made for him. I went to stand with Angela, Jasper right behind me, and Edward -ignoring all the seats that were suddenly made available beside Jessica and Lauren- sat on the floor at Charlie's feet, easily pushing the coffee table away. Ben's eyes widened; I bet he remembered a time when that coffee table wasn't so easy to move around. The rest of my family settled in corners of the room that basically had a lesser amount of temptation.

"I heard her truck coming back and I heard her come in- she sounded really mad, screaming and kicking stuff over, so I waited in my room until she was safely in hers before I went to ask her what was wrong. I _swear_ to you, I heard her going up the stairs and locking her door!" Charlie's voice broke down, and it was a whole minute before he became coherent again. "When I knocked and there was no answer, I went in... and the room was empty."

"No signs of struggle?" Jasper spoke first, quietly, yet somehow causing all attention to turn to him. Charlie shook his head. "None that I could see... but would you guys like to look at the room? Maybe you'll find something that we overlooked."

"We?" Edward's voice was alarmed- people could have tampered with the scene now, which would make it much harder for us to trace Bella's scent.

"Not everyone, just Billy and I. He left just before you guys came, actually- no idea how he got here so fast, then left at the same speed too." Edward and I exchanged glances, while Carlisle let out a sigh.

"Our ki- family, does not have much in common with the La Push people, as I'm sure you already know."

"That's an understatement- and I bet it's because Bella chose the Cullens in the end," I heard Jessica mutter to Lauren. I frowned. Some people never change.

Charlie was speaking to the others. "I'll be right back. In the meantime, any suggestions on where to search first would be nice."

We were walking up the stairs when the awful realization hit me, and I almost slapped myelf for not noticing the obvious difference earlier.

"Jasper," I hissed, stopping in my tracks. He looked at me in apprehension- he could probably sense my stress already. "Don't you notice that something... _smells_ different?" He nodded. "Yeah. The whole house just smells a little bit... off. It's nothing I've ever come across before, so it can't be the were-" He stopped suddenly as Edward's hand was on his mouth. "Watch it," Edward growled. Then he stared at me for a moment before saying, in a dreading tone, "You're right. It's not here."

The scent that I had been trying to identify since the minute we arrived wasn't actually a scent in itself, but the _absence_ of one- Bella's fragrance; one that we had all managed to absorb as a part of our air for the past two years... and one that was now completely wiped clean from the house. As if she had never been here before.

"Is everything okay down there?" Charlie's voice called from the second floor. All three of us turned to run -at a human pace- up the stairs, after I whispered into Jasper's ear, "I'll explain at home."

Esme's eyes were anxious as we burst into Bella's room- or, at least, we thought it was Bella's room. It didn't smell anything like her, and through a sweeping glance I could tell that most of the usual items in her closet were gone, replaced with brand new designer pieces imported directly from Europe. And, the biggest difference of all, her CD player was gone- a newer flashier model had taken its place. Minor things, things that Charlie wouldn't notice. Esme whispered softly as Charlie started rambling about how Bella couldn't have possibly ran away.

"What's going on? Alice?"

"Bella's scent- we don't have it..." My voice was flat, drained of all emotion, as I comprehended the true horror of the situation.

How were we going to find her now?


	3. Chapter 3: Relocated

Mike POV

Daylight took me by surprise. One minute we were all out in the woods with flashlights, calling Bella's name out until we were sore, and the next minute we were all back at Chief Swan's place, where most of us just curled up to sleep on the floor. I was the only one awake, too worried to do anything but sit in a corner and stare at my coffee. I tried to think of a place we hadn't suggested, but nothing came to mind. It was like everything revolved around one fact: today was supposed to be Bella's wedding day, she'd come home really mad last night, and the next thing we knew, she's gone out the window. Talk about cold feet cliche.

I heard a quiet, menacing growl breaking the general silence of the house. Startled, I looked up and saw Bella's supposed fiance across the room, staring at me, his eyes fixed with anger. As if he could read my mind, see what I had been thinking. "We had a fight." His face, already extra threatening, hardened even more, but his tone was regretful rather than defensive. "I hurt her. And I let her go off alone in the middle of the night." Not knowing what to say -I always felt awkward around the Cullen kids-, I kept quiet. But his confession got me thinking. "She arrived home safely anyway, right? Her dad heard her come in and everything." He nodded slowly, probably trying to see the relevance between the two topics.

I wondered if the intruder -under the circumstances that Bella had been kidnapped- had been waiting for Bella all along, inside her room. But there had been no sign of forced entry anywhere and the window could only be opened from the inside. Besides, according to Dr Cullen, Bella was supposed to have slept over at their place that night. Nobody knew that they would be having a fight, that she would be coming back. Unless-

"They weren't here for Bella," whispered Edward, his eyes widening with awe. I stared at him incredulously. Again with the mind-reading thing. "How did you-" I began to ask suspiciously, but before I got any further with my question he stood up and bolted for the door, his feet moving so quickly I blinked. A few seconds later, as though they were all on some sort of satellite signal, the hot blonde -Rosalie, I thought her name was- and Alice ran down the stairs, their respective boyfriends following right after. Freaky, the way the whole family was connected like that.

Dr Cullen came down last with his wife, looking all calm and doctorly. He seemed to be looking for something, and seeing I was awake, he beckoned to me. I was cautious to avoid stepping on the sleeping figures.

"Mike, right?" I shuffled my feet uncomfortably and gave a curt nod. It wasn't that I meant to be rude or anything, but -as usual- my gut instinct kept telling me to keep very far, far away from any of the Cullens. Like for all the perfection they seemed to have, there was some invisible monster in them that could cause some serious damage to anyone who dared to get in their way. I kept my eyes cast downward.

"Charlie -Chief Swan- is upstairs. He's been sleeping for only about an hour or two, so I don't want to disturb him just to say good-bye, but... When he does wake up on his own, could you see to it that he has a good breakfast? And tell him my family will be organizing our own search party now, and might not be back in town for a few days..."

I was stunned. I'd always heard that Dr Cullen was a good guy -I mean, you'd have to be to adopt five adolescents- but I had no idea that he could be so... compassionate. So decent. I could totally see why my mom had a small crush on him now.

Mrs Cullen coughed, bringing me back to the present. "Breakfast, yeah, sure," I stuttered. "But if he asks where you guys are...?" I struggled to keep the curiousity out of my voice. "We'll be in touch," was Dr Cullen's simple answer, and having said that he gave a little bow -honestly, that combined with the British accent...- and left the house.

For a few moments, I stood fixed on the spot, listening to the purr of their car pull away. Only then did I realize I had been holding my breath, and that my palms were sweating profusely. "Damn it, Mike," I grumbled to myself as I turned to walk up the stairs. "Two months after graduation and you still lose your cool around them..." I reached the Chief's room and opened the door slightly, deciding not to knock in case he woke up. Much to my surprise though, the man was already awake anyway, sitting up in bed and staring moodily at the wall. He didn't even turn to look at me when I came in.

"Hey, Chief."

No response. I groaned inwardly. This was exactly what Bella had been like when Edward had left her on her 18th birthday. Maybe it ran in the family or something, I figured. "Chief Swan?" I tried again. He turned to me with a startled look on his face, as if I had woken him up from a dream. "Oh. Mike..." He sighed and slumped back against the headboard. "Sorry. Have the Cullens left?"

"Two minutes ago, yep." I shut the door quietly and went to sit at the edge of the bed. "They told me you were sleeping... Oh, yeah, I was supposed to make you breakfast. Hang on-" I started to stand up, but he reached out for my arm and pulled me back down again. "No, that's okay. I'm not hungry. Just that- I need to talk to someone before I start thinking about it again. About her, and this whole mess..." I nodded, reading between the lines. The same reason I had gone out with Jessica after Bella fell for Edward. Distraction.

Taking my quiet as a positive response, he started a new topic eagerly. "So what have you been doing with yourself lately, Mike? I haven't seen you around in a long time... You look taller now, all buffed up. Have you been working out?"

I chuckled, my gloom momentarily lifted, and settled myself on the bed properly. "It's a long story, actually, but it all started when I..."

Esme POV

"Will someone please run the whole thing by me again? I wasn't paying attention," whined Emmett from the back of the car. Jasper sighed and leaned against the tinted window, looking out at the rainy landscape whizzing past. "Edward? You do it this time."

My eldest son clenched the steering wheel harder; by the time he realized what he was doing, there were now two dents on the wheel, in addition to the four that had happened on the drive to Charlie's house. "Hey, will you stop taking your issues out on the car? I actually worked on this thing," complained Rosalie, her eyes flashing. "And explain to Emmett what's going on!"

Edward opened his mouth to speak, possibly to utter some new-fangled profanity, but thankfully -I could never stand swearing- Carlisle cut him off. "Try and keep up, okay Emmett? We thought this was going to be easy, a piece of cake, because we _thought_ that a human captured Bella, and we would be able to trace her by her scent. But now, as we've all noticed, Bella's scent is... missing, along with her physical self. Which means we have to actually look for her, the way... normal people do. Which complicates the situation somewhat."

"_Complicates the situation_- there's an understatement if I've ever heard one," muttered Jasper under his breath, and I frowned at him. Emmett's face still looked a bit uncertain. "Well, that sucks. What are we going to do?" Alice let out a frustrated sigh. "Haven't you been listening _at all_, Em?" He grinned sheepishly. "I got distracted." When everyone turned to glare at him venomously, he held up his hands in a defensive position. "You can blame Rose for that too, you know!" Edward grunted disgustedly, but made no further comment as he received a sharp look from Carlisle.

"We're going to split up," explained Alice, less than gently. Looks like Jasper's talent wouldn't be able to do anything for anyone today. "Carlisle and Esme are going to fly over to Volterra to see if the Volturi have anything to do with this, you and Rosalie will be up in Alaska to visit Tanya's coven, Jasper and I will be down in Texas to get information -and back-up, if necessary- from Peter and Charlotte, and Edward..." She trailed off nervously. Apparently, this was everyone's least favourite part of the plan.

"I'll be staying here- helping the dogs," Edward finished, with a little hurt tone that reminded me of a little boy being left out from a game at a birthday party. "Carlisle thinks it best that we have some way of getting updates from the people back in Forks. I'll be able to communicate with the pack in both forms too, that should be useful." Emmett was quiet for a moment, and I thanked God that he didn't make any of his insensitive attempts at humour now. Finally, he drawled out, "So, all that means..."

"All that means we get out here," answered Rosalie firmly, as the rest of the family groaned simultaneously. Startled at her reply, I looked out of the window- we'd arrived in front of Seattle Airport. I got out of the car slowly, wishing that I was smart enough to come up with a better plan than this. I hated it when the family had to split up; it made me feel vulnerable and weak, even with Carlisle by my side. As if sensing my distress, my personal miracle-worker moved closer to me and put his arm around my shoulders. "We'll get through this, darling," he promised. "Now say good-bye to them while I go pick up our tickets." Of course, he'd already booked them while we were on our way.

I turned to face the others- my true children, my true family... maybe not by blood, but by something much stronger. By love, I realized for the thousandth time. We were bonded by love. I looked at them, focusing on each of their faces one at a time. Emmett and Rosalie paused their bickering briefly enough for them to give a solemn, "Take care of yourself, Mom!" while Alice pulled me into a deep hug and planted a kiss on my cheek. Jasper, ever the military man, gave a stiff nod of acknowledgement and at least a feeble wave of serenity, which I mentally thanked him for. I noticed Edward was still in the car, his face a harbour of sorrowful expressions. Anger seeped so much out of him. I remembered that this would be the first time we were leaving him instead of the other way around.

I opened the car-door and slid inside. "Edward," I spoke his name softly. He looked at me, and if I didn't know better I would've thought that I saw tears in his eyes. "I died a long time ago, Esme," his voice made me grimace; so much pain... "But I feel death's touch only now." I put my hand to his face- it was cold, even by our standards. "We will find her." I couldn't think of any more comforting words to say.

Carlisle tapped on the window then, and held up the tickets. I sighed; we had twenty-five minutes before take-off. "We _will_ find her," I said again, and he smiled half-heartedly.

"Good-bye," I heard him whisper forlornly as we walked into the building.

Sam POV

"Sam?" I turned from the sunset to see Emily walking out onto the balcony, cradling the house phone in one hand. "It's for you." She held it out. I frowned slightly; I hadn't noticed the phone ringing, and Emily shouldn't have to walk around answering my phone calls. Not with the baby coming along steadily. I stared down at the small bump in her stomach, wondering if it was reproaching me from inside for letting its mother tire herself out like this. Emily laughed at my perplexed expression. "It's okay, honey- I was already there when it rang. We're all prone to spacing out every now and then. Now are you going to take it or what?" Her hair blew in the breeze around her perfect face, and her eyes shone with the rays of the setting sun.

Her beauty was _intoxicating_, unbearably intoxicating. I pulled her into my arms and kissed her, savouring the feel of her cool lips that soothed the burning within me as always; and just as I was beginning to get carried away- "Sam!" she squealed with laughter, and tried to edge away. "The phone! Remember?"

"Oh," I muttered, and wiped away the sweat that had suddenly appeared on my forehead. "Right." I took the phone from her, still not releasing my grip, and managed to land my lips on her forehead one last time before speaking into the line. "Hello?"

"Finally, you two are done." I grinned as I recognized the cracked voice. "Nice to hear from you too, Billy," I chuckled, stroking Emily's hair as she stared at the sunset, giggling slightly when she heard Billy's comment. "Why the call? Is anything wrong? How's Jake doing?" The last question I asked out of mere politeness; after all, Billy wouldn't be the first person to know if his son came back.

"Ah, Jacob..." sighed Billy, and his voice suddenly became grave. "If there ever was a time for that kid to come home, it would be right now. Emotional fool..." I sharpened up, remembering that today was supposed to be Bella's wedding day with the blood-sucker; her choice over us made official. Had something gone wrong? "Why now? What's happened?" Emily turned to look at me as she sensed the sudden serious turn in the conversation.

"Bella went missing last night. I had to leave when the Cullens came because I was riding with Embry, so I don't know what they've found-"

"I'm sure between the seven of them they'll be able to track her down, Billy." My voice was bitter- I still couldn't believe that she had willingly _chosen_ to become one of them.. "She probably doesn't need our help. And you know the rules; we're not allowed on their land as long as they're there."

"They've left already, I think to search among their own kind... But Sam, listen to me- that's not the worst part."

Emily stood up straight, gazing into my eyes with worry. She could feel the vibrations running up and down my skin and my breath becoming more pronounced; telltale signs that I was going to phase. "Go," I mouthed at her. She nodded, and fled into the house. "So what is the worst part, Billy? She didn't want to come back when they found her?"

"Her scent is gone. They're as lost as the rest of us are. You know what you have to do."

Without hanging up, I dropped the phone and jumped over the balcony- by the time I landed on the ground, it was on four feet, and my clothes lay in shreds all around me.

_Jacob,_ I yelled inside my head as I raced into the forest, willing my thoughts to be as clear as possible. _Where are you?_

**A/N: Awh. :) People liked the first chapter, yay! But I'd really like **_**more**_** people to tell me their theories about what happened to Bella. (I can tell you it wasn't Jacob.) Pluss, does anyone have any suggestions about what happened to Mike to make him all hot -for a human? (note: he did not become a vampire, cough)**

**p/s: The part where Edward realizes that the kidnappers weren't there for Bella at first becomes very significant later.**


	4. Chapter 4: Welcome

Four o'clock in the morning. The airport was as deserted as I'd ever seen it; the security guard cast cautious looks at Carlisle and I as we passed through the immigration checks. The flight had been long and dull- nobody else had seemed to afford our first class seats, and we were in the compartment all by ourselves. Of course, we could have put that fact to good use- but we hardly deemed it appropriate under the current circumstances.

I frowned as I observed Carlisle lifting our luggage casually onto his shoulder, ignoring our rule of using the trolley- for the sake of at least attempting to look like the other passengers. His carelessness was justified, however, for I was sure his mind was an absolute web of complex strategies now- his imagination creating would-be scenarios, causes and consequences. It took a toll on his usually youthful face. My own mind was completely frazzled beyond belief- this had never happened before in my lifespan. A scent completely wiped clean...

Without realizing it, we had now reached the exit. A tall figure strode towards us, dressed in a shirt and slacks much too formal and expensive-looking to be a hotel-worker's uniform- and then I recognized the tattoo of the Volturi's crest on his arm.

"Ah Felix," Carlisle spoke with an air of friendliness, with an air of meeting an old acquaintance. As if this creature had not been eager for the death of our first son, and his first love. As if this creature had not threatened -or at least, wished to threaten- the very center of our coven. Our family.

He gave a mild nod of acknowledgement, and with a stiff bow gestured towards a black Rolls Royce parked some way off from the doors- away from the fluorescent lights. Carlisle raised his eyebrows- the Volturi, we'd been led to believe, did not approve of extravagance.

"The master saw it fit to greet you in style," said Felix in reply, almost disdainfully. His grim countenance while at the wheel did not assure my nerves, and the journey to Volterra was silent save Carlisle's absent-minded remark that "Nothing had changed".

As we arrived, the guards were shifting duty places. Large cloaked figures in groups of two and three stalked around the discreetly hidden fortress. It stood out but blended in so well- I couldn't help but admire the building, piece of priceless architecture as it was.

From behind me, Carlisle chuckled- I guessed he could recognize the awed look on my face, that must be all too familiar to him- it appeared every time we saw a worthy building... usually one that we bought on the spot. "You should see it in broad daylight," he said, and the promise of it lifted my spirits somewhat. The doors swung open to reveal more guards, though uncloaked, briskly walking around the broad corridor, decorated everywhere with antique-looking ornaments. Lighting was dim; I lost my bearings for a moment as my vision adjusted. A few guards stopped briefly to give Carlisle a respectful bow- a sight that made Felix growl softly. Jealousy. I did not need Jasper's talent to sense it.

We reached the end of the hallway, and by means of a long elevator trip we entered another one- narrow and stark, with the fish-out-of-water feel of an office. I identified it from Edward's description of what had passed during his visit, and instinctively turned towards the wooden door which I knew led to the most powerful family of our kind. There was nobody in sight; the human receptionist that Edward had told me about wasn't here. I wondered which death she had been given.

"The masters await." Felix had reached the wooden door a few steps ahead of us, and now threw it open with a dramatic gesture. As we went in, Carlisle grabbed my hand and kissed it gently. "I love you," he said softly, solemnly, his face bearing the exact expression he wore when I had first woken up as an immortal. Fearful, apprehensive.

My first impression of the chamber was that it was unlit- when the door opened, it cast a bright shaft of light into the darkness. Only the dark blue hues of the ouside sky, filtering through the narrow windows, were the other sources of light that allowed me to make out the three thrones on the pedestal- and the obvious escape route in the middle of the floor.

"Welcome back, my friends," came then a loud booming voice from the far side of the room- and bright burning torches were suddenly lit around the room. A fragile-looking man was now sitting on the highest throne.

"Aro," Carlisle said, and I was taken aback to hear the humbleness in his voice. He offered a deep bow; I followed suit. Aro was sufficiently pleased.

"I apologize for being alone here- Marcus is brooding upon his stars again, and Caius... Ah, so! Caius should be free now. Let us go disrupt his artistic reverie," bleated Aro cheerfully, and with a speed that did not somehow fit with his physique, he led us out of the room and through the doorway. Then, he suddenly stopped in his tracks. "Before I forget," he muttered bitterly. "Heidi?"

A female sprang out of the elevator- her beauty provocative enough to give even Rosalie insecurities. She did not bow as Carlisle & I had, but the look in her eyes showed the vast amount of respect in her regard for him. "Yes, my master?" Her voice was husky, alluring as her looks. It was her talent, I then realized. A gift of reeling people in. I quickly concluded her position in the Volturi.

"See to it that Mr & Mrs Cullen receive their provisions in 24 hours," Aro said simply, though I could sense the underlying note of mockery at our diet. The female named Heidi was evidently disgusted, but out of some consideration for us- she chose to voice her opinions by reaching to touch her master's palm. She dropped it after a second and waited for his reaction.

"You will do no such thing," he reprimanded sharply, and she sighed.

"24 hours then, master." Her movements left behind a faint breeze.

We walked further down the hallway, past the elevator and the receptionist's desk. I glanced at Carlisle, urging him to ask Aro about Heidi's thoughts, curious as to what Heidi had been refused a few moments ago.

"She wanted Alec to persuade you into our lifestyle, if only for the duration of your stay," sighed Aro wearily, before either of us could speak out. "She felt it beneath her position to roam the pasture. I will punish her impertinence duly later..." He trailed off as he suddenly took a sharp turn to the left, where I noticed that there was a door, camouflaged with the wall completely if it it had not been for the crack showing where the hinges were. Aro knocked thrice. "Caius?"

The door creaked open a centimeter, a pair of gruff black eyes appeared. "They're here?"

"Yes, and you promised you would be here to greet them with me," answered Aro rather crossly, and the door opened fully. This room, too, was lit only by the dim sky outside, and a few torches on the wall.

I gasped as we were ushered inside. 


	5. Chapter 5: Delirious

The first thing I did as I alighted was _breathe_. The intoxicating smell of 36 humans' blood in a narrow container that had no ventilation whatsoever had been exhausting, and I felt the cold air rush through my system with overwhelming relief. That would be the first and the last time I took a bus. Beside me, Emmett looked around, a confused look on his face. "Are you sure this is the place, Rosalie? I don't recognize it... And it smells funny."

I nodded impatiently. "The trees have just grown, that's all. It must have been a long time since we last came. Let's go." Deftly, I jumped over the barbed wire fence that seperated the highway from the forest. The thick coating of the first autumn leaves on the ground stifled the sound of my feet landing. Not bothering to wait for Emmett, I took off. There was no chance of being seen here; after all, this entire section of the forest belonged to Kate's coven as a part of their massive estate. It would be a wonder if they hadn't heard us already. I sped up, allowing myself to enjoy the rush of energy. I had missed staying with their family, especially Tanya. Beautiful, blonde Tanya. I wondered if she had ever gotten over her crush on Edward. I chuckled, quietly, so that Emmett wouldn't hear. Now THAT had been a funny decade or two. Images of the two of them chasing each other, or rather, Tanya chasing Edward, filled my head. She had been begging him for a kiss, I remembered, and he wouldn't relent. He had been so aghast at her affections, almost terrified of them. Stupid boy.

Silently, Emmett pulled up beside me, and we fell into pace together, skidding to a halt at the same time.

"No," I whispered, my voice as crackly as the leaves underneath.

Charred remains of what looked like the aftermath of a bomb explosion. Kate's three-storey, marble-terraced home. Detonated, destroyed.

And perfect limbs lay, scattered and burnt, on the ground

"Who.." growled Emmett, as we walked around the scene. There was no smoke left to be seen, but the scent was still hanging clear in the air. My head was spinning, and for the first time since my rebirth I felt weak. Afraid. I was less concerned with the culprit than with the motives of it all, and a chill struck as I remembered why we had come here in the first place; Bella's disappearance. She was gone. Kate was destroyed. Something wanted us all dead. No life. Oh God, oh God... I kneeled and leaned forward, hands on the ground for balance; my nerves exploded with a pain I couldn't name. There were fireworks behind my eyes now, and everywhere I saw faces- Kate's coven, Bella, the people I had killed... Royce was the clearest amongst them all. He was laughing in that cruel mocking way when he'd finished having his way with me. He stood there, him and his superior friends, laughing, and then came the Rosalie of the past- so beautiful, so ambitious, but so unhappy. Nobody could understand that she was unhappy, even herself, except dear old Diana, who smiled sweetly and wished her well... Oh! And there was the baby, those gorgeous black curls, tottering into Diana's arms as a child would never do to mine, no matter how long I waited...

I laughed out loud, and in one second the entire world became a stranger.

Emmett POV

After she laughed, she sobbed hard, as if forcing tears to come out when they never would. The sound of it broke me. My Rose, in pain. I had been at her side the moment she kneeled, but through all my pleas she still wouldn't hear me, pushing me away. She began calling out to Royce, and Diana, people from her human life. She saw them in a place where I couldn't go, her past, one after the other. It scared me when she suddenly went quiet. And then she had laughed, a hollow melancholy sound of someone who had discovered the simplest answer to the question she'd been puzzling over for her whole existence.

Rose turned to me with a soft, gentle smile. "You must be Charles."

I stared; there was something in her eyes that I had never seen before. It scared me. She got up, slowly, and touched my face with the same gentleness as her expression, as if stroking something fragile. "You've grown up so much."

"Rosie? It's Emmett, honey." I begged. Please, let this be a bad joke. Please. She cocked her head with a curious look. "Emmett? Who's that, dearest?" She giggled as she tucked a stray lock of my hair behind my ear. "Is that the name of your newest imaginary friend?"

* * *

"She's what?" Edward's voice was deadpan with disbelief, and I bit back a growl.

"Delirious, Edward, DELIRIOUS! She's forgotten she's a vampire, she doesn't know who I am, and she keeps calling me Charles for some reason-" I fought to keep the panic out of my voice. From behind me, I could hear Rosalie singing a lullaby to herself, rocking her arms as if holding a baby.

"Charles?" His tone became choked; barely audible through the static. "Diana's child. She thinks you're Diana's child."

"WHY?" I roared, and there was a soft thump. I twirled around. Rose was perched on the highest branch of a nearby tree. "You scared the baby, Charles," she whimpered, arms wrapped around herself tightly as she let her golden hair fall forward, covering her fearful face. I groaned and put the phone back to my ear. "Help, Edward. Please."

"Have you called Carlisle?"

"Four times- it didn't even bloody ring!"

"I'm on my way." There was the comforting sound of the Volvo's engine being switched on.

"Wait, Edward-" I didn't want my baby brother to get in trouble by disobeying direct orders; God knows he would never let me hear the end of it for getting him into Carlisle's bad books. "You could just tell me what to do, you know, you don't really have to come here... Carlisle gave you orders, man..."

"Brother," he replied, sounding quite amused. I could hear the sounds of various honks- no doubt he was weaving his way through the highway already. "If I had never disobeyed Carlisle's orders, I would have still been a hermit. Alright? Don't worry, I will deal with the consequences myself." Then, after a pause in which there came the sounds of screeching tyres and Edward yelling "You buffoon!", he spoke into the phone again, his tone sober. "Besides, I want to pay my respects to Kate's coven. They were beautiful people."

I nodded stupidly. "Any news with Jasper? Or the dogs?"

He growled in response. "Sam's gone off to find Jacob, but no luck there. With him gone, the only one who'll speak to me is Billy, and there's no news." There was something else in his voice now, something not right. I decided not to pursue it, not right now.

"And Jasper?"

"I don't know. He hasn't checked in with me yet, and what with Carlisle out of touch, I think something's wrong."

I couldn't help but retort, "You THINK?"

He laughed hollowly and hung up the hpone. Dejected, I turned around to face Rose. She wasn't there. "Rose, honey?" I called out, worried instantly. She could have gone anywhere in that state...

"Yes, baby boy?" A childish, mocking voice came from behind me. I spun in the opposite direction. A little girl stood before me, the most beautiful little girl I had ever seen, though her manic red eyes glinted with malice. I chilled at the sight of the Volturi mark tattooed on her inner arm, and remembered her name from Edward's story.

"You must be Jane," I said, trying to maintain all composure. Pretty frankly, it wasn't working. Slowly and subtly, I shifted into a fighting stance. What had they done with Rose? Bemused, Jane simply looked at me, not bothering to acknowledge my statement. Did she really think she could take on Emmett McCarty? I almost scoffed.

Big mistake. The evil in her eyes suddenly flared, and she smiled. Then, a poison like one I'd never felt before entered under my skin, causing the venom that flowed through my bloodstreams to feel burning hot. Every bad memory I had ever encountered forced itself into my head, and there was so much pain coming from inside...

Somehow, I was already writhing on the ground. But I couldn't remember falling...

Through the horrible screeching sounds of what I knew were my screams, I heard the little demon call out in a clear voice. "Felix! He's done."


End file.
